November 3rd, 2021 / 0 Comments

Many families often ask us if it’s harmful to raise a child with autism spectrum disorder in a bilingual home, teaching them both Spanish and English. Families have been told, “Speak only one language to your child on the spectrum” – and usually that means teaching them English only.
We know that speaking two languages can be an incredible advantage for children without developmental disabilities, including:
Because children with autism often have difficulty with language, the assumption for many years was that learning two or more languages would be harmful and further delay their language skills. In recent years, however, research from the United States, Canada and around the world has shown benefits:
The decision of whether or not to raise a child bilingually is a complicated one, particularly when raising a child on the spectrum. The research at our center and around the world is increasingly showing, however, that there are no signs that bilingualism is harmful to children with autism spectrum disorder. And as they grow up, bilingualism can help autistic children to better navigate their world and understand themselves and their cultural heritage.
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